zeitgeist

noun

zeit·​geist ˈtsīt-ˌgīst  ˈzīt- 

often capitalized

: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

Did you know?

Scholars have long maintained that each era has a unique spirit, a nature or climate that sets it apart from all other epochs. In German, such a spirit is known as Zeitgeist, from the German words Zeit, meaning "time," and Geist, meaning "spirit" or "ghost."

Examples of zeitgeist in a Sentence

His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960s America.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the political climate, which put drag into conversation as a possible illegality, brought the show into the zeitgeist like never before. —Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024

Titles like supernatural series Stranger Things, Regency-era romance Bridgerton, and coming-of-age comedy Wednesday have driven the cultural zeitgeist. —Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German, from Zeit + Geist spirit

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

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